Good old coffee is a drink that many people love and drink every single day. That kick of caffeine goes a long way in helping people get through their days, and there are all kinds of coffee to suit any taste. Keep reading for some coffee tips to make the most of any cup of coffee.
If you want fancy latte decorations without a fancy latte price, you can try making your own. There are various guides online that can get you started. With some practice, you can make latte art as good as any barista using milk and melted chocolate. You will not only save money by creating beautiful latte designs, but you’ll impress your guests too.
If brewing at home, coffee can prevent cabin fever. Lots of coffee shops offer Wi-Fi for customer use, which allows you to bring your work along with you as you grab a beverage and get a change of scenery. Restaurant also offer the same feature.
Do you need to exercise? You should drink a cup of strong coffee an hour before you go for your run or head to the gym. The caffeine will give you the energy you need to work out efficiently. However, it is very important that you drink plenty of water before, during and after your workout session.
Buy smaller cans of coffee. If you buy coffee in a can, only buy what you will consume in a couple of weeks. It will cost more money than buying a large can and storing it for a while. What you save in money by buying a larger can, you end up sacrificing in taste.
If you want to help the Earth out a little in your coffee habit, then buy filters that are reusable. These will spare you from wasting a lot of paper filters in the future. This is green for the planet, and saves the green in your wallet. Many reusable filter enthusiasts also think their coffee tastes better this way.
Coffee starts to lose flavor about six hours after it is initially roasted. This is why you should do everything you can to keep your coffee from getting a lot of air. When you store your coffee, use an airtight container so you can keep the quality of each cup at a high level.
A big mistake that many people make when brewing coffee is not using the proper amount of coffee. The proper ratio of ground coffee to water is six ounces of water for every two tablespoons of coffee. Any less coffee and you will have a weak and unsatisfying brew that tastes more like water than coffee.
Make sure your coffee pot is clean. In order to get the freshest tasting coffee you must be sure you are using a clean coffee pot. You can clean it by using a teaspoon of vinegar with a full coffee pot of water. Run your coffee pot as though you are making coffee.
Many people use bacon soda to keep smells from permeating refrigerators, but used coffee grounds have the same effect. Coffee acts like a natural sponge, and it will absorb any odors it comes in contact with. This is why you should place a small dish of them in your refrigerator to keep odors at bay.
Make sure that you refrain from combining coffee beans from different brands. Not only will the flavor be different, but you will also be combining two sets of coffees that have different expiration dates and levels of freshness. Stick with the same brand and the same bag of coffee beans each time.
If you are wanting a safe way to break from your favorite everyday coffee and try something new, try to narrow down what it is you like best about your tried and true brew. Pay attention to where your beans are brewed as well as to whether you are using a light or dark roast.
For the best tasting coffee, use fresh beans that are between three days old and ten days old. Younger beans have not had sufficient time to mature and the taste can reflect this. Older beans are already going stale and losing the maximum flavor they had during their peak time.
Make it a habit to only grind enough coffee for your immediate use. When you grind a whole bag of coffee, you are speeding up the flavor shelf life. Those grounds will lose flavor within a couple of days, where the fresh beans would have held out a little longer.
Even though avid coffee drinkers prefer fresh brewed coffee, some people use instant coffee granules to make a quick cup rather than a whole pot. The flavor of the instant coffee is different than brewed coffee, and most people think it is inferior. It is quite convenient though, and some consider that convenience worthwhile.
Coffee can be addictive as many hard drugs. If you are drinking more than five or six cups a day, you may have a problem. It might be hard to quit cold turkey, but try to avoid withdraw symptoms by tapering off gradually. Reduce your daily intake by one cup a day every week until you are down to a reasonable coffee consumption level.
Be wary of coffee beans that are already flavored. These beans get their flavor from oils that are sprayed on, making them a pain to clean out of coffee equipment. If these conflicting flavors accumulate, your coffee may develop very funky flavors. Using fresh flavors like cinnamon and vanilla really work the best. Even bottled syrups work.
If you hate having your iced coffee diluted by the ice cubes, consider making your ice from coffee. When the ice melts, it is only adding to the flavor of your coffee, not diluting it. Just pour regular coffee into a plastic ice tray and put in the freezer for coffee cubes.
Now that this article is complete, you know more about what you can do to always be sure your coffee is as fresh as it can be, and as delicious as possible. Apply the tips to your own coffee activities, and you will no doubt enjoy your coffee for years to come.
